It is believed that clear glass, such as that used for making windows, date back to the early periods of the Roman Empire or even earlier times. Since the manufacture of clear glass and its use in windows, occupants of buildings have sought ways to maintain privacy, and to block or defuse light through these windows. To this end, interior window treatments were developed to prevent people on the outside from looking in, as well as to block the admission of, or diffuse incoming light.
Although a tremendously wide variety of window treatments is available, one common type of window treatment is panels such as shutters. Window shutters can be decorative, functional or both. They can be installed on an exterior surface of a building for aesthetics, or to provide protection from, for example storms and hurricanes. Shutters can also be installed in an interior portion of a building to add aesthetic appeal, and if finctional, to provide privacy and to permit the adjustment of the amount of light entering through the window from the outside.
Those familiar with shutters will recognize that shutters can be quite costly to purchase and install. This is particularly true for plantation shutters, which are generally recognized as shutters that have deep slats, generally about 2 inches or more deep. Typically, the installation of plantation shutters is a rather labor-intensive, and expertise-intensive undertaking that is beyond the knowledge and skill of most "do it yourself" homeowners.
In a typical installation, either a frame is built and installed within the window box to support the shutters, or "hanging strips" are installed along the sides of the window box from which the shutters are hung. Although either method can appear to be a relatively straight forward task, each requires skill, not only in measuring and laying-out the shutters, but particularly in the actual physical installation of the shutters.
Moreover, if measurements are not made accurately and properly, the shutters may not properly fit within the window box or frame. Ill-fitting and improperly installed shutters can greatly detract from an otherwise aesthetically appealing window treatment design. To this end, the installation of plantation shutters is generally carried out by professional installers, which necessarily increases the cost for this type of window treatment.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a shutter mounting arrangement that permits ready installation of shutters by both professionals and "do it yourself" homeowners. Desirably, such a mounting arrangement is sufficiently "forgiving" so that inexact measurements and designs can be accommodated within the mounting process, without detracting from the function and aesthetic appeal of the shutter design.